Report: Gay NFL player considering coming out

CBS Sports’ Mike Freeman reported Monday that, according to his sources inside the NFL, a gay player is considering coming out in the next few months. If so, that player would be the first athlete to come out while actively playing for a major American sports team.

According to Freeman, the player feels that the time is right for an openly gay athlete to speak out about their sexuality. The decision is not being made without serious trepidation, however:

This player’s true concern, I’m told, is not the reaction inside an NFL locker room but outside of it. The player fears he will suffer serious harm from homophobic fans, and that is the only thing preventing him from coming out.

Sources have not indicated who the alleged player may be.

Supporters of gay rights are becoming increasingly more common within the NFL community. Players like Scott Fujita, Chris Kluwe and Brendon Ayanbadejo, as well as New York Giants co-owner Steve Tisch, have all expressed their support for gay marriage.